In a living organism, free radicals produced by oxidation reactions can propagate chain reactions that damage cells making up the organism's tissues and organs. Anti-oxidants present in the living organism terminate these chain reactions by removing free radical intermediates, and inhibit other oxidation reactions by being oxidized themselves. Anti-oxidants are often reducing chemical agents such as thiols, ascorbic acid or polyphenols. Vitamins C and E represent specific examples of such reducing chemical agents.
In addition, living organisms have evolved complex anti-oxidant enzyme-based systems to reduce dangerous oxidative stress and cell damage caused by free radicals. A wide array of enzymes are present in living organisms to combat free radical damage including, but not limited to, catalases, superoxide dismutases and peroxidases.
However, it is understood that certain treatments performed on the living body result in dangerously high local concentrations of free radicals. Such treatments bring the body in to contact with free radical concentrations far exceeding those formed by oxidative reactions normal to healthy physiological processes. For example, the oxidative chemicals utilized in a general teeth whitening procedure generate an undesirably high concentration of free radicals in the mouth of a dental patient during the whitening procedure. Accordingly, it is beneficial to immediately reduce the free radical concentration following such a procedure to a concentration level which lessens the damage to living cells comprising the patient's oral cavity, including the teeth, gums, supporting bone, and soft tissues of the mouth such as the tongue and lips. In view of the current state of the art, there exists a pressing need and considerable market potential for compositions useful in reducing the hazard of free radicals associated with treatment of the living body.